SUCCUMBING TO JUDGING OTHERS
OR
SUBMITTING TO SPIRITUAL EYE SURGERY
SUNDAY AUG. 4, 2019
Scripture To Consider:
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with what measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”
“And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see more clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7.1-5
Something To Consider:
Jesus begins our Scripture to consider with the words; “Judge not, that you be not judged.” Jesus is speaking to the temptation and tendency of mankind to judge one another. Spiritually speaking, Jesus is drawing our attention to the universal law of reaping what we sow, for with what measure of harshness we judge others, the same measure will be used to judge us.
The apostle Paul informs us in his opening remarks in his letter of Romans in chapter 2, by stating; “Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.” In other words, we tend to see more clearly in others, those things that we ourselves are guilty of doing or not doing, whichever the case may be.
These are very strong words Paul used in declaring that we are inexcusable and that we are condemning ourselves when we judge others! According to Paul, we who judge others practice the same things we are judging. It all sounds quite two-faced and hypocritical! That is why Jesus said, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” But good advice is only good if it is heeded!
Paul proclaimed more good and godly advice in Galatians chapter 6 beginning in verse 1, by declaring; “Brethren, if a man [woman or young person] is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” Paul continued in verse 3 with a warning; “For if anyone thinks himself [or herself] to be something, when he [or she] is nothing, he [or she] deceives himself [or herself]. But let each one examine his [or her] own work, and then he [or she] will have rejoicing in himself [or herself] alone, and not in another.”
Something Else To Consider:
Paul continued to expose the truth in Romans 2.2, when he taught; “But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.” Paul points to the irrefutable truth that God is judge and not us. We have no right to judge another while we practice what it is, we are judging. But God has all the right in the world and beyond to judge according to His righteous judgment.
The composer of Psalm 50 acknowledged in verse 6; “Let the heavens declare His righteousness, for God Himself is Judge.” Therefore, let us not judge others, for it is not part of our job description. In other words, judging others has a tendency to lead to self-righteousness. Therefore, self-examination in the light of God’s Word and our being under the care of our Great Physician Jesus Christ, is the required prescription for the sickness of judging others.
While under the immediate care of Christ we are less likely to judge others. While undergoing spiritual eye surgery through the diligent study of the Word of God our lives become less focused on others sinful appearing specks and more focused on our own blinding beam-like hinderances protruding from our own lives that indeed blind us from the truth of God’s love and forgiveness.
Paul again, paints a most vivid and extremely revealing picture of the hypocritical judgment and self-righteous attitudes of all who wrongfully judge others in Romans chapter 10. He begins his explanation in verse 1, by stating; “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel [the nation] is that they may be saved.” That, and that alone must be our foremost reason and desire to even consider correcting anyone of sin. If our heart’s desire and our fervent prayer is not that others might be saved, leave the correction to someone more spiritually concerned.
The apostle Paul was someone spiritually concerned for the souls of others and continued that concern in verse 2-3, by revealing a scenario that fits more than just the nation of Israel. “For I bear them witness that they [the nation of Israel] have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge [biblical knowledge]. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own [self] righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.”
And that is the crux of every known deplorable act of humankind! For the most part the human race has and continues to refuse to submit to the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. The human race in general is more concerned with seeking the establishment of its own kingdom upon the earth, than seeking first the kingdom of God.
Something More To Consider:
Jesus also asked in our Scripture to consider, “And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?” That is an extremely important and candid question for us to consider. Why is it that we take valuable time to look at and attempt to draw attention to the splinter in another person’s eye, when all the while we are overlooking that which resembles a California Redwood obscuring our own spiritual sight? The plain fact of the matter is that many people, if not most people, are fearful of spiritual eye surgery.
At times we hold to the idea that it would be too painful to remove what blurs our vision, so we do to others what we wish not to be done to us. How shameful and how hypocritical we are when we attempt to judge others without first judging ourselves by way of the Word of God and Christ’s righteousness.
James, the stepbrother of Jesus admonished us in his letter, by proclaiming; “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore submit to God. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” And yet, if we refuse the instruction of the Word of God our own judgment awaits us as explained by Paul in Romans 2.3. “And do you think this, O man [or woman or young person], you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?”
A Few Final Words:
According to Jesus, we are not to judge others! Also, according to Jesus, we are to be on the alert of our own spiritual vision becoming clouded and in need of spiritual eye surgery due to our fleshly desire to judge someone other than ourselves. And if we refuse to submit to God and His Word concerning this most important biblical matter, we may find ourselves among the many hypocrites that have come and gone down through the centuries who have died spiritually due to their spiritual blindness.
A spiritual leader’s job description allows for many things to be done to bless and benefit others, one of which does not include the judging of others. For according to Jesus, “Judge not, that you be not judged.”
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, create in us a desire to face spiritual eye surgery with a joyful anticipation of seeing things much more clearly. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 